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Issue #139 – Apprentices in Action
by L. Swift and Jeff McQ
Marisa Merkl, a Film Connection student based in Milwaukee, WI, recently had the opportunity to come out to L.A. and get into the nitty-gritty of work life on the set.
I was given a unique and educational experience thanks to my mentor, Richard Brandes, to fly to Los Angeles and spend six days on the set of a film being produced for the Lifetime network. Shadowland films took me under their wing, thanks to Marianne Wunch, and did their best to let me dive in and learn in a ‘trial by fire’ environment that is constantly on the go, while also being kind in answering all my questions.
I took on the role of Production Assistant along with three others on a crew of about 40. I was unloading equipment and handing out walkies for checks within 10 minutes of my first day, which started at 6:00am. Within the span of six days I handled garbage duty, removed and setup coco mats for scenes more times than I can count, did umpteen fire watches and lock ups, stood in for the leads so shots could be blocked, stepped in to be background, observed rolling scenes and had opportunities for one on one conversations with the director, Douglas Campbell.
The experience was invaluable for those conversations, not to mention the hands-on, time on-set, learning set lingo and observing the pace at which all the players orchestrated their roles around each other. Understanding the hierarchy of positions was key, as well, in order to recognize the flow of the script from director to 1st AD in conjunction with the producers, 2nd AD, 2nd 2nd AD, and so on…All in all, living the RRF program on a set was extremely helpful!”
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